I'm Just A Little Bit Caught In The Middle
by suitcaseofmemories
Summary: A war changes people, it leaves them alone and they need a family. Ron/Harry/Hermione. Ficlet. VERY AU. Very OOC in some places. Please take that into account when you read.


**Author's Notes:** Ficlet. AU. Character's aren't mine. Prompt: Harry/Ron/Hermione, _i held on as tightly as you held onto me__. _

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**I'm just a little bit caught in the middle**

After the war a thousand little things happened. Funerals to attend, reparations to make, schools to rebuild. With so many things they didn't know where to begin and where to stop.

In the midst of it all the Trio had decided to take a break when all those things were done. It had been an unanimous choice. They had been offered to begin training as aurors – mostly because the auror ranks were greatly depleted of good fighters and the three teenagers had fought in a war, after all. They had politely declined and promised to think about starting auror training the following summer. Professor McGonagall – Minerva, as she had asked them to call her – had put up offers for anyone to retake the year, considering that a part of the student body had been in hiding, unable to attend the school due to their blood status or simply too busy trying to stay out of the way of the Death Eaters among the teachers.

Yet again, Ron, Hermione and Harry politely declined. They couldn't imagine going back to school, going back to their childhood just like that. The war had ended but they couldn't pretend everything was back to normal. Now – after the war, after growing up – this was their normal. And they needed a break.

Ron was the first one to suggest that they leave the country for a while. Every last living wizard in Britain knew who they were, knew what they looked like, knew their story, and it was just too much. Isolation and deep-rooted fear during their time on the run had made them paranoid and jumpy; not a single day went by without one of them being close to a panic attack, simply because someone had tapped them on their shoulder or had spoken too loud. They weren't used to other people, they had been hidden observers for too long.

It was Harry who planted the idea of recovering her parents from Australia in Hermione's mind. Several calls to the British Consulate eventually provided them with the location of her parents; they lived in Brisbane.

Professor McGonagall – Minerva – allowed them to peruse all the books they needed in the library of Hogwarts to research the things they needed to know. The search for the right memory restoration spell took some time. Once they had found it they hadn't known how to go from there. Neither of them wanted to go to Australia prepared with a spell they hadn't ever tried before.

Again it was Minerva who helped them. They weren't war heroes for nothing and she knew someone who knew someone who had a relative working for the Department of Mysteries or something like that. For once they were glad to be known everywhere. The Unspeakable – they weren't allowed to know her name – came to Hogwarts and it was in the Chamber of Secrets that they were taught the perfect spell; it was slight modification from the original one they had found but they had been promised that it would work. It was the Unspeakable who introduced them to inter-continental Apparition.

They left for Australia on the last day of August after the unspoken agreement that they didn't want to be reminded of missing the train ride to Hogwarts on the next day. Hermione had made reservations at a hotel near her parents' house.

And suddenly they are there. Standing in front of the house that belonged to Wendell and Monica Wilkins. Hermione lets out a deep breath, unsure if this is the right thing to do. Harry stands on her left and Ron on her right and it is only their support that convinced her to walk towards the door and knock.

When she sees her mother who isn't really her mother at that moment standing in front of her, she breaks. Harry grips her hand in his and Ron lends her the steadying touch to the shoulder that she so desperately needs. She couldn't do this without them.

Monica Wilkins stares at her in bewilderment, her face betraying her thoughts; she is unsure what to make of the three teenagers. Hermione wipes away her tears, stammers an apology before Ron takes over the talking and Harry takes over the comforting.

"We apologise to intrude on you like this, Mrs. Wilkins," Ron starts. They're not quite his words, he wants to blurt out all the reasons they have come here for, but that's not how this should go. The Unspeakable had told them how to go about this. They were going to do this the right way, for Hermione's sake.

He fumbles with the hem of his coat, uncertain of how to go on, and he can't look into the eyes of Hermione's mother. Not really. Instead, he stares at her feet, and repeats the things that he, Harry and Hermione had talked about.

"Mrs. Wilkins, the thing is, we have news for you. For you and your husband, that is." He nods to emphasise what he just said. He risks a glance and looks into her face, sees disbelief mirrored in her eyes. Disbelief and maybe something else. He has to push on. For Hermione, who is still in Harry's arms.

"Please, may we come in? I know that's not a lot to go on and we could be burglars trying to see if you've got any valuables we could pilfer, but, please, we need to talk to you and your husband," Ron presses on. If this doesn't work, if they don't appear to be trustworthy, they're going to have to use compulsion charms to convince the couple.

They're in luck. The woman in front of them nods, looks the three of them over and can't help saying, "Of course, do come in."

Once inside she calls for Wendell who seems to have a hobby room upstairs. She proceeds to make tea while her visitors sit down on the sofa. Wendell comes downstairs; when he sees them he nods and provides a friendly "Hello" before turning to Monica with a questioning glance.

It takes a while for the story to get out. Hermione can't help staring at her parents, marvelled at the fact that they're alive. So alive and well and she can have them back! And so Harry takes over the talking for a moment until Hermione snaps out of it. When she does, she smiles and squeezes his hand and squeezes Ron's hand and then the information gushes out.

They explain to Monica and Wendell that they're parents, that they have a daughter, that they're not actually Monica and Wendell but Jean and Robert Granger, that their memories were taken, that they're basically in the wizard equivalent of witness protection. They don't believe it until Harry transfigures his teacup into a gerbil and Ron does his best Aguamenti, which Hermione then vanishes. Hermione's parents are amazed.

They ask more questions. Questions about why Hermione sent them to Australia, why she didn't come with them, why they hadn't protested. They're curious and want to know whether they would retain their memories as the Wilkins'. Hermione falters in her tale; it hurts to tell them that she didn't give them a choice, it hurts to see the slight betrayal in their faces, even though they don't know her. Not yet, anyway.

When Robert – Wendell, still – asks Hermione to give them some time to think about this, to give them time to decide whether or not they want their memories back, she takes in a sharp breath before running out of the room. A look between the boys and Harry runs after her, murmurs soothing words in her ear, tries to ease her pain because he knows how hard it must be to be faced with the truth of the situation.

Ever the strategist, Ron tells her parents that they'll be in town for a while, that they're taking a break from Britain, that they have all the time in the world to make a decision, that they could try to get to know each other before choosing.

Harry and Hermione come back into the room and they nod to Ron; they're ready to go. For now. They leave the phone number of their room at the hotel, just in case. Outside Ron takes Hermione into his arms and gives her a tender kiss. She needs all the support she can get; she never thought that things might go this way. They don't see the two people back in the house peering out of their living room window and observing them.

The following days are spent with endeavours to distract each other. They're still jumpy around people, a different continent doesn't change that, but they are going to make the best of the situation. They Apparate to places all over the outback. Sometimes they march through the terrain, sometimes they sit back against a tree and simply let their thoughts wander. They walk through the tourist parts of Brisbane. It's not what they came here for but it helps. They're more relaxed here than in Britain where you never know how many supporters of Voldemort are still out and about.

Hermione considers staying, if her parents choose to live on their new life. Hermione considers staying, even if her parents choose to go back to being Robert and Jean. Maybe this is the right place for them. They can be whoever they want to be here. They're not The Boy Who Lived and his two best friends here. They're not the Golden Trio, not the defeaters of the Dark Lord here. They're just themselves and it's all they need.

They don't impose on Hermione's parents even though they haven't called back. It's a difficult choice to make, they all reason. More than two weeks after their visit to the Wilkins' house they're surprised when there's a knock on the door of their hotel room and it's not room service.

Wendell and Monica made their decision and now they're standing in the hotel room, pointedly ignoring that there's only one bed and a cake on the coffee table. They're ready to tell them. Hermione has to sit down on the bed and it's Harry who pats her hand when Wendell speaks up and tells her in no uncertain terms that they want to go back to being Robert and Jean.

She jumps up to embrace her parents and nearly crashes into them. It's the best birthday present Hermione could've asked for.

The trio asks them to sit down on the sofa, to ask questions if they have any. They do, of course. They're not Hermione's parents for nothing. Questions are asked and answered to the best of everyone's abilities. And then it's time.

The spell itself isn't complicated, it's simply "Restituo Memoriam", but it's the casting that they had to work hard to learn. And of course the power. They hadn't been able to acquire one of the spell amplifiers the Ministry used for Memory extrication or restoration. They had to do it this way, but The Unspeakable had been sure of their success. All they had to do was cast it together.

Wendell and Monica look a bit ill at ease when Harry, Ron and Hermione begin to start casting. It doesn't last long and there's no expression left on their face, only empty eyes, and a minute later they nod off and another minute later they raise their heads and suddenly they're Robert and Jean again.

Jean is the first to say something. She almost runs over the table in her haste to get to her daughter, to hold her close, to kiss the top of her head. Robert is a bit slower, he's suspicious of the boys like any other father would be. And then he throws it away and shakes their hands and introduces himself as Robert Granger and then he hugs his daughter and his wife until one of them complains that she can't breathe.

It takes a long while until they're all ready to sit down and eat the birthday cake that has been waiting for them. It's a simple cake, but it means so much more for all of them. It's reunion and gratitude and freedom and love. It's the beginning after the end.

The Grangers notice that the story that Hermione had told them before the restoration of their memories was just a survey of everything that had happened. They notice that she's easily startled by people other than her two friends. They ask them to leave the hotel and come to their house for the remainder of their stay, however long that may be.

Hermione explains that they're not sure how long they want to stay here, that they're survivors and need time to cope. The Grangers are fine with that. They're still not sure if they want to return to their old life. Australia is a nice place after all.

Of course things only last for so long. It happens about a week after they move in with Hermione's parents. Harry and Ron are supposed to sleep in the living room on transfigured beds while Hermione stays in the guest bedroom. It's night and Jean can't sleep and so she goes downstairs into the kitchen to grab a glass of juice and she notices that the beds are there but they're empty.

She creeps upstairs again and sneaks a look into the room that her daughter occupies. There, on the bed that seems to have been transfigured to twice its original size, three bodies are pressed together and each of the boys is gripping one of her daughter's hands and they're fast asleep and they look like they're so scared that they might be torn apart, even in their sleep.

She closes the door and goes back to bed and doesn't say a thing about it when she comes down the next morning to a delicious breakfast that Harry is making. She's not sure what to think but she let's things go on like they do. There's nothing wrong and Hermione smiles more around the boys than she smiles around her parents.

It's when Robert comes into the guest bedroom – Hermione's room – unannounced that things go awry. He walks in on Hermione kissing Harry. Harry, not Ron. The black-haired kid and not the redhead. They don't notice and he leaves again, pondering what he saw. Maybe Ron and Hermione had broken up?

He casually inquires about mundane things the next day after lunch, when he and Hermione do the dishes while Harry and Ron are outside and tending to the garden and Jean is enjoying the fact she doesn't have to do anything. He distracts his daughter enough before springing his question on her.

"So, Hermione, which of the boys is your boyfriend?" It's a seemingly normal question but Hermione is appalled for a moment and squeaks out a high-pitched "Dad!"

"What? I'm just curious. You see –" he begins to explain but Jean interrupts him with a glower that tells him to shut up or else.

"Robert, don't be nosy. She'll tell us when she thinks she's ready," Jean says, amazingly capable of transmitting all the things she doesn't say in one perfect glower. For once he's not fazed by any of it.

Hermione gathers her wits about her and nods to her father, though. She can do this. She knew she would have to tell them at some point. And so she starts, "Let's sit down and we can talk. It's – it's complicated."

Her father doesn't like that answer. "I don't think we need to sit down. Which one is your boyfriend? The redhead or the other one?" The look in his eyes says more than thousand words. He's not going to let it go. "I don't mean to push you. I'm only looking out for you."

"I know that, daddy. It's –" She tries to find the right words but she can't even think properly.

"Yes? Is it Ron?" her father prompts.

"Well, sort of?" She replies. Her mother nods her encouragement but her father only raises one eyebrow. It's in that moment that Harry and Ron come back into the house. The silence is enough to tell them that something is up.

"What's going on?" Ron looks at each of them, a bit confused until Harry nudges him in the ribs and says, "I think this is about the three of us."

Hermione and her parents nod and both boys take a step forward and take Hermione's hands into their own and Robert asks, "Which one of you is her boyfriend? Because I am sorry to say this because it'll hurt one of you but I've seen her kiss both of you and I'll have none of that in my house." He expects it to be Ron because Harry hadn't seemed troubled at all when Ron had kissed his girl way back when. Robert isn't prepared for what comes next.

It's Harry who says, "We're both her boyfriends."

Hermione gives her boys a loving smile each, Jean gives her a smile to show her support and Robert has to sit down on the sofa.

"Both? But – I don't understand this."

Despite the dire situation, the awkward moment, the weird revelation, Hermione and Jean giggle. Robert has always been a bit slow on the uptake.

This time the Grangers sit on the sofa and Ron sits down in the closest armchair and he pulls Hermione into his lap and Harry next to them onto the armrest. When everyone is settled – without tea because there really don't need any more broken teacups – Hermione puts on her serious face and starts to explain yet another story. It seems that Australia is the land of revelations for her and her family.

She takes a few breaths and then she's ready to talk.

"War changes people."

It was the day after Godric's Hollow that Harry and Hermione sleep next to each other in the same bed. They were tired and scared and didn't want to lose sight of each other and so for once they didn't bother that one of them should watch out for the enemy. They were like lost children, no one could find them there and the more time they spent away from the world, the more they needed each other. Both of them missed Ron.

Ron was Harry's first friend and he missed him terribly. Ron was Harry's family, Harry's connection to the Weasleys and he needed him as much as Hermione did.

For all the bickering they did, Hermione truly loved Ron. She was in love with him. She loved him and it hurt terribly to see him gone.

And – she finally realised – she loved Harry the same way. In this strange world of magic they were her family and she loved them both, she was in love with them both and she hadn't known and she wished that Ron was back. She wanted Ron back because she missed him and because Harry missed him and they, Ron and Hermione, were Harry's family and they were supposed to be there for each other and it hurt to be two instead of three.

Then Ron came back. Harry told him that Hermione was his family, that Ron was his family and that he needed them. Hermione was mad at Ron, but mostly she was glad to have her boys, her family, back. Ron told them that he couldn't go back to the Burrow. It was not his prerogative, not when he had given his life over to Harry the moment they had made the choice to help him with his search for the Horcruxes.

Harry didn't really understand until they were in Hogwarts and he saw Ginny and he was glad that she was safe. He didn't really understand until he didn't feel the urge to kiss her. It wasn't Ginny who was his family. She was an extended part of it and he loved her but he loved Ron more. Ron, who was sometimes an incredible git. But hadn't their time on the run proven it to Harry? He needed Ron and Hermione more than Ginny or Cho or Dumbledore.

War changes people and Harry wasn't comfortable around the outspoken girl who had once been his girlfriend. She was too loud, too excited, too much. One moment with Ron and Hermione after the downfall of Voldemort had given him more answers than anything else.

During the months on the run, they had grown to be each other's family. And now they couldn't live without each other; they couldn't live with anyone else. Maybe this was a strange relationship, maybe they were imagining things, but they were all they needed.

"War changes people. Maybe we're insane, maybe we're completely screwed up inside, but it physically hurts to be without each other. We're a family now."


End file.
